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What headlight/housing do I have?? 6" round on '81 GS1100E
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Originally posted by rphillips View Post
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Looks like the one in your link is also 6" & from an "L" model. I don't know how to do links, but go to ebay & put in 1978 Suzuki GS750E complete headlight, there's one there that may be something to look at.
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Well, I'm not a huge fan of this light in general, and considering its not original, and doesn't seem to be from any other GS, and isnt even easily adjustable, I'm thinking of just scrapping it. Which of course raises question of what housing to replace it with? Does anyone know if the standard 7" housings used on most of the round-light GSs (something like this one for instance https://www.ebay.com/itm/13356358318...UAAOSwjGxfn3bX ) will bolt right up to the factory mounting brackets used on the rectangular "lunchbox" style headlight that came on my '81 1100E? If anyone has one of these or a similar 7" headlight assembly, would it be possible for you to take an approximate measurement of the width between the two mounting bolt holes on the housing? My hope is I can buy something like the one I linked above and make it work easily. I'm assuming I'm not the first guy to want to switch from the lunchbox headlight to a round one, hopefully its an easy swap.
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That doesn't look like the L one to me... it's from another brand I would guess.
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So here is the headlight, I'm measuring across the outside diameter (OD) of the reflector/lens of the light itself. As you can see, this is right at 6". There is a slight rim on reflector that sticks out maybe another 1/8" or so, where it registers up against the inside of the front bezel. So maybe max OD is 6 1/4" or so.
My 16" vernier calipers at work so I can't accurately measure the OD of the entire housing/bezel itself, but with a tape measure its almost exactly 7". Here are some additional pictures of the housing itself. This housing assembly does not match the parts diagrams I am seeing for any of the round headlight GS model I can find (including the "L" model). Also note that the reflector is held into the front bezel with just these spring clips, no screws or aiming adjustment mechanisms. Unless you guys can set me straight, I am suspecthing this is not a factory suzuki part from another model, but rather cribbed from another bike? or some generic aftermarket unit? If the former you'd think it would have aiming adjustments built into it, and if the latter you'd expect to be in one of the more common sizes (all the aftermakret round lights/led kits i find seem to be in 5 3/4" (for Harleys) and 7", this 6" seems to be a bit of redheaded step-child as far as sizes go).
So what do you guys think? Any ideas where this headlight came from? Or I guess, since the quality isnt; great and It's a paint to aim/adjust anyways... are you guys aware of a round headlight assembly that would bolt in between the OE headlight mounting brackets meant for the "lunchbox" rectangular headlight that came stock on my 81? Since this (apparently not even OE) assembly can be made to fit on them, I'm hoping/assuming a more common 7" setup from a similar-year GS likely will as well? Anyone have any experience with this? What do most other guys with an 81 using the lunchbox light do when they want to swap it out for a round one?
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Originally posted by Rob S. View PostOh, that one. Can't say I'm a fan of exhaust tape, but after hearing that the previous owner customized it into a cafe, I think I speak for the vast majority of us in saying that we were pleasantly surprised. When we hear about a PO customizing or turning a bike into a cafe racer, 99.99% of the time it's a very sad disaster story of a project that never got completed. Your's is the exception to that rule.
Originally posted by rphillips View PostThat looks like a plain old round 7" that came on many, probably most all, GS models, not the 6" "L" nor the 8" "Train light models.
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That looks like a plain old round 7" that came on many, probably most all, GS models, not the 6" "L" nor the 8" "Train light models.
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Oh, that one. Can't say I'm a fan of exhaust tape, but after hearing that the previous owner customized it into a cafe, I think I speak for the vast majority of us in saying that we were pleasantly surprised. When we hear about a PO customizing or turning a bike into a cafe racer, 99.99% of the time it's a very sad disaster story of a project that never got completed. Your's is the exception to that rule.
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Originally posted by Rob S. View PostHave we seen pictures of your Suzi yet? Without using an outside photo-hosting site, you can attach one small pic to each post.
PXL_20210701_222454464.PORTRAIT_2.jpg
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FYI: The '80 and '81 11E rectangular light is called the "lunchbox," and is considered by old school old timers like myself, less attractive than standard round style. Ditto that for the gauge cluster.
The '82 and '83 11E round light is called the "train," maybe because of it's large size.
Have we seen pictures of your Suzi yet? Without using an outside photo-hosting site, you can attach one small pic to each post.
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INNNNNNNNteresting, had no idea the "L" had a smaller reflector, all the measurements/references I found were for 7". Now I can't wait to get home and get to the bottom of this. Just to make sure we're on same page, when you say "L" model, are you referring to the GS 1000/1100 GL models? Or the various smaller-dsiaplcement GS 300/450/550/750 L models? Both? I'm fairly new to the suzuki/GS lineup (this is my first one) so I'm still making sense of all the model years/iterations!Last edited by RocketScientist; 07-21-2021, 11:08 AM.
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If it's 6", it's either from an L or another brand. As you mentioned, most others were 7", but I think the 1150 and maybe a couple of the 1100s had the 8" "train light".
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Originally posted by phydeauxmutt View PostYou might have a light from an "L".
That suspicion would have a little more merit if the housing is also chrome steel.
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